Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Fifty years left on my lease in Almondsbury. I now wish to extend my lease but my landlord is can not be found. What options are available to me?

If you meet the appropriate requirements, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will enable the lease to be granted an extra 90 years by the Court. You will be obliged to demonstrate that you or your lawyers have used your best endeavours to find the freeholder. For most situations a specialist may be helpful to try and locate and prepare a report which can be accepted by the court as proof that the landlord can not be located. It is advisable to get professional help from a solicitor both on devolving into the landlord’s absence and the vesting order request to the County Court overseeing Almondsbury.

Expecting to exchange soon on a leasehold property in Almondsbury. Conveyancing lawyers assured me that they will have a report out to me tomorrow. Are there areas in the report that I should be focusing on?

The report on title for your leasehold conveyancing in Almondsbury should include some of the following:

• The total extent of the demise. This will be the property itself but may incorporate a loft or basement if appropriate.

I have just appointed agents to market my ground floor flat in Almondsbury.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just received a yearly service charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should discharge the invoice as normal because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I own a leasehold flat in Almondsbury. Conveyancing and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society mortgage went though with no issue. A letter has just been received from someone saying they have taken over the reversionary interest in the property. It included a demand for arrears of ground rent dating back to 1992. The conveyancing solicitor in Almondsbury who acted for me is not around.What should I do?

First make enquiries of HMLR to be sure that this person is indeed the new freeholder. You do not need to instruct a Almondsbury conveyancing solicitor to do this as it can be done on-line for a few pound. Rest assured that regardless, even if this is the rightful freeholder, under the Limitation Act 1980 the limitation period for recovery of ground rent is six years.

Last month I purchased a leasehold property in Almondsbury. Do I have any liability for service charges for periods before completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous owner and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to be sure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Almondsbury Leasehold Conveyancing - Examples of Queries Prior to Purchasing

You should want to find out as much as you can concerning the company managing the block as they can either make life much easier or problematic. Being a leasehold owner you are often in the clutches of the managing agents from a financial perspective and when it comes to day to day issues such as the tidiness of the communal areas. Ask other tenants what they think of them. In conclusion, investigate as to the dates that you are obliged pay the maintenance charge to the managing agents and specifically what it includes. How many of the leaseholders are in arrears for their service charge payments? Many Almondsbury leasehold apartments will have a service bill for maintenance of the block invoiced by the management company. If you purchase the apartment you will have to pay this liability, normally periodically accross the year. This may be anything from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds for large purpose-built blocks. There will also be a ground rent to be met yearly, normally this is not a large figure, say about £50-£100 but you need to enquire it because occasionally it can be surprisingly expensive.

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Lease Extensions in Almondsbury